u/Frosty_Discussion517

Why don't I ever see CX using platform pedals but I always see MTB doing so?

CX has been dead around here for over 5 yrs. It sux. It's still mind boggling. We had a scene! Dozens of riders. We hosted a race. After everyone quit I found the most awesome course. I've been loving it. By myself or with 1-3 non-crossers who are hooked on it, too. But really it sux. What the heck happened? It died here before Covid. Can't blame that.

Mtbiking is big here. We have maybe 100 into it. I've been trying! The club is a lot of fun. I never had a MTB before. I'm old but I'm hanging onto the tail of the fast gang. ...I don't know if it's fun. Turn turn turn turn. Root root root babyhead babyhead babyhead. CROSS IS SO MUCH FUNNER!

Gravel popped up right when CX died here. Our local big club "got busy" and nobody had time for anything but ONE race to host. We used to host a crit and a cross. Then we added the gravel event. ...It has taken over. No crit, no cross. Just the gravel event. On a FLAT SQUARE. I have never been able to bring myself to do it. But there are a couple local gravel rides. So I join those. Gravel is nice. Great to get away from cars. BUT IT'S NOT FUN LIKE CROSS! And cross is away from cars too.

Cross is more central and easier to manage than either gravel or mtbike. 10 mins to get to any course rather than 20 mins to get to any trail. Trails are in the burbs ringing the city. Cross can be in town, easy access.

The local mtb club puts in like 100 hrs a year taming our 6 local trails. Awesome! ...Cross takes hardly any time to build and maintain by comparison. Toss up a course on a few acres. Mow it once or twice. Let it heal over by spring.

Why am i the only local who thinks cross is fun? I'm not that fun myself. seems like fun ppl would REALLY like cross.

Here's another notion. In the 70s, 80s we were taught to ride with bent arms. Our coach produced multiple world/oly golds in multiple fields, men and women. He would whack the crack of our elbows (while we were riding!) if our arms were straight! ...Come up alongside on a moped. This taught us in effect to not have weight on our hands. This let us steer through anything. We could push off of other riders with elbows or do anything with our hands and not unbalance our riding. ...If you ride with bent arms and lift a hand off the bars, you can still ride normally. Your shoulder doesn't droop. If you take BOTH hands off the bars when in regular riding position w bent arms your torso hardly droops. Your thighs are carrying your torso weight, curving to your low back. If you hit a surprise bump with bent arms you are fine. If you run into someone's rear wheel or if they bump your rear wheel, you can deliberately apply pressure against their wheel and keep yourself up. You can even whack their rear wheel w your front wheel.

We are fit enough to do this! It doesn't take more fitness. It's not hard. It's a skill to practice. We already do it to get a water bottle! We just need more of it.

By contrast if you have straight, weighted arms and you are bumped into or hit a bump you TEND to become unbalanced and swerve. I suspect that this results in nearly all crashes. And resulting collarbone glitches.

With unweighted hands and bent arms we can move our bike around. With weighted hands and straight arms we "handle" our bike by swerving. Dip and swerve is how we "steer" then. It's not real handling or steering. It sux.

Now, we can briefly rest and change weighting when we're in a safe place. Straighten your arms and stretch out. Take a break. Then get back to safe riding.

The thing is that nearly every rider today can be seen to be riding with straight arms, weighted hands. Maybe one reason for this is slammed stems?

I asked an old state champ pal if he noticed this. Ha. That's why he rides on his own.

Yet another topic: Crash Proofing. ...It used to be a skill we drilled for. We would ride around on the grass and bump into each other, trying to knock each other down. Just bumping mostly. Goofing. But practicing. Rubbing tires and coming off without unbalancing. Hooking and unhooking bars. Riding w your hand on the shoulder next to you. Pushing thighs w elbows. We also rode "serpentine" around cones: steering not swerving in an S-pattern. Feeling the diff b/w banking your bike to turn it and steering the bike. Feeling the diff b/w straight arms and bent.

Good times. Few crashes.

I'm seeing at least one district having multiple longterm jobs starting w the first day of school! ...A sub is supposed to set the tone for the year? I don't know how to launch a class! How prepped can it be? I guess schoolwork might be laid out and known, but how the kids all interact? It will be bonkers! I've had my own room before. I took weeks getting it ready. I was a good sub then, too, but a new teacher and it was A LOT. Being a new teacher, everybody being new, is very cute. The kids are pretty good. It's setting up a relationship. I've always loved my kids. But to come in as a SUB? You're getting to know them in a sensitive moment -- and they know you'll be gone SOON! WOW! Seems so sketchy!

One of the buildings I've done longterm for, and I know most of the kids. I'm surprised the principal hasn't called. But maybe he knows I don't need the grief? Ha. I sub for him a lot. I like the building culture. But the kids can be a handful. I need the real teacher to set a strong baseline. My role is filling in for a short time. I do come back, so I do have a relationship w the kids.

I've been riding in various bike sports for decades. I notice that my ideal seat height gets higher over the course of a season as my fitness improves. When I reach my peak fitness, and seat height, I notice that it does take skill and relaxation to get the most out of the seat height but it seems a skill worth having and I hugely appreciate it.

My basic seat height method is commonly used but I don't always see it. I've noticed all sorts of formulas over the years. My way is: raise seat too high then lower it until it feels right. This seems like a simple method that might work for sports riding for anyone.

I notice the feeling significantly change with adjustments of even 1-2 mm when I zero in on the sweet spot. I also find the converse to have a truism: If you start within a formula suggestion but somewhat low and raise it until it feels right that there is a wide range of good feeling heights -- maybe up to a couple cm.

I grew in my appreciation of a high saddle back when I lived and raced in the mountains. I found that a steep canyon hillclimb race benefited from a saddle that was a bit too high for the flat-lands. Also in time-trials I found that a higher saddle "just for the event" let me go a bit faster, but then I'd lower it again for daily riding and regular racing. A bit high seems to carry more risk of discomfort.

But over the years I realized that I liked the increased power of a max-high seat (while verifying that it still felt great for my pedal technique) was worth it. And the downside was basically eliminated by SKILL and paying attention to my pedaling smoothness, etc.

I can tell if I overdo it by 1-2mm and will lower it to get back in the comfort zone. I don't use a definite toe-down foot position.

Oh, crank length is likely a factor, too! Since I'm old I grew up racing in the 80s and using 170mm cranks. I'm 6ft tall but I've felt that 175 is definitely too long of a crank for me. Hate em! They give me a galumphing feel! Just wreck my pedal stroke. I can appreciate the longer lever idea and have perhaps felt that -- so for bikes for more climbing and less spin I've used 172.5 -- they don't seem to wreck my pedaling. Of course I notice today's testing with 165's!

...I've raced a fair bit in all the velodrome events and have used 165s before but not on the road.

Anyway, that's the story of my high seats!

There are elementary schools and teachers in our region that I've experienced having significant behavior issues. Is it a coincidence that 2 weeks before school starts that I'm seeing sub jobs being put in for dates (near and far) from them way more than for others? Gulp! I pity the new subs walking in on that. ...I've also seen teachers who had a hard time in one building now being in a new building -- and already putting in for lots of days off, like 5X as many as others. From calm sources I'm seeing basically zero jobs coming in.

Our local trails are hardpack, fast and pretty smooth. They do have quite a few 4" roots and occasional babyheads. But it's not mud or soft or loose and I'm going faster and faster in my tires. I'm not sliding out in corners at all.

...I'm new to suspension (and a bit new to fast MTB as well) and I'm riding a 2015 alum Epic. I'm finding it's still smooth even going from 2.4" > 2.2".

...So... I'm gonna try Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge 55mm. These are really supple with small fast knobs. Has anyone else done this? I'm curious to see what happens! I'm hoping they're most of all FAST. And I'm guessing those knobs will bite our hero-dirt just fine.

I'm easy on gear and not very strong. I lean hard on tricks, finesse and secret weapons. I'm dangling off the back of the A-group. I'd love to start rolling up on them more.

PS: To bring up another notion: The fasties are mostly using droppers. I'm starting to see why. I do notice that I often get dropped in corners. I'm still not properly smooth enough. But they're using droppers in these tight, fast turns -- out of saddle, flick bike. Never tried such a thing but maybe they're fun!

What's the good way to corner on a MTB? Is it coachable? Is there a good article somewhere? ...Especially as compared to CX? I was pretty good cornering in CX. I could always move up. I'm pretty terrible in MTB and can't figure it out. I'm trying to push the bars down like I'm told by the bros. I do pretty fast for only doing trails once a week. I only ride local and it's twisty yet mellow terrain. But we have a lot of tight, reducing-apex turns. Or stuff like modest roots'n'rocks everywhere in the corners -- maybe I find the "lean bike over keep body upright" reduces my detail ability? Anyway, I find that I oversteer a lot and "stub my toe" w front wheel on exits. And I brake at least a little in many turns. I do sprint into them. I'm kinda trying to do MTB w CX background...

Also, I'm old and last year I still rode my old 1991 rigid MB1. The gang got a kick outta that. It was harsh and my cornering wasn't great -- I put wider bars and shorter/higher stem on it but it was still a little twitchy and loved to oversteer. Still, I could kinda keep up. A pal then gave me a Karate Monkey 29 he wasn't using. It trashed me a bit less, w 2.4" tires. I could lean the bike better w the big wheels -- but sometimes had a time getting them around. Then another pal upgraded and sold me his old Specialized Epic Brain alum. So my first sus ever is full-squish. I like not getting beat up as much by the chatter-roots and my cornering is a little better, but still...

So are there rules to know? Specific drills that teachers use to get ppl better at corners? Any link to great info? I like learning! (I'm a teacher, and high level in XC skiing, and I teach that and a lot is counter-intuitive, so teaching really helps even tho many try to do it on their own...)

I never knew about CX until the tail-end of the trend. I fell hard in love. I was getting better quickly and having so much fun. Then everybody quit. Literally.

Our town had fun weekly practices with like 20 ppl, pound a cold one after. Riders of all ages were doing it. Good times. Then I found a super-awesome new course and was loving shredding it. ...And exactly right then everybody but me quit! Some got into boring straight-line gravel (for who knows why), some got babies, there were special reasons. It was a perfect storm of no-shows. Our club had to simplify coz the prez got twins so they opted for a gravel race (straight roads, flat). Then the whole world caught boring straight-line gravel fever and about a dozen awesome area races folded up. Covid didn't help. But I still love CX!

Our town started a fun MTB club. Great if modest twisty lil trails and socializing. Helping local kids. Building trail. Good times. We ride a diff trail each week all around town, each only 15 mins tops away.

But... Yet... Why is MTB so much less fun? Isn't it basically the same as CX? The cornering is kind of weird. I used to zoom up on ppl in CX turns but am only now starting to figure out MTB turns. I barely hold my own. Feel kinda weird doing them. "Shove those bars down!" OK... And my bike is so heavy! And maybe we go so fast! And I don't want any of this "big air" malarkey. I suppose after I get better on turns and get a feel for the bike maybe I can start doing the "features." But these wide bars... And the weight. Maybe if I could afford a carbon bike. Our local trails are all pretty rooty and I'm pretty old so a pal upgraded and sold me his full-sus Specialized Epic Brain aluminum. 30lbs? For the first year I used my 1991 MB1. Got bashed up but it was cute. Cornering was pretty crazy -- I changed it to make it tolerable. Then a friend gave me a Karate Monkey 29 with 2.4" tires. A bit more cush, bit easier handling. Crazy wide bars. Now this full-squish. I've never had ANY sus. I guess it's nice not getting beat up anymore. But I tend to get dropped on climbs. I'm scrawny and need light gear or I'm toast. It came with big knobs and tubes. I put narrower 2.2 tires on it w small race knobs and tubeless. Much easier rolling! Our trails are hero-dirt.

Still, why aren't I gassed to shred? It's OK. But I miss the barriers! The run-ups, offcambers... I was so happy to discover CX in my elder years. I used to race everything, esp road. I woulda been great at CX as a kid. ...I so loved discovering the buttery awesomeness of tubies! I also LOVE LOVE xc skiing! CX on tubies feels like skiing to me! Float like a butterfly... Sigh... Oh well, I'm trying to love MTB, but...

Ppl who live in apartments often have to store bikes outside. Most such bikes are not high-end but still get used by kids, etc. I'm wondering if it would work to store such a bike in a big, heavy-duty trash bag. ? I'm specifically thinking of Michigan, which has rain and snow. The bike would be locked. ...Altho with a lock it would be hard to seal up the bag very well. I help at our local bike co-op and we see endless kids bikes coming in rusted up from being left outside. Google says that bag storage would result in condensation and quick rust. ...Is that for certain? Thanks.

...But it's with a wimper not a bang for me. I have one district that goes til next Wed but I don't see any more jobs. I hate to throw in the towel just yet.

I think I subbed full days for the whole year. Again!

Overall, I had a great time.

I'm not totally dialed yet for 4th/5th grade challenges. They can be impossible to reach at that age, it seems. But I like their skill level and ability to work -- at times.

I had one 2nd grade that was ruled by a boy and several copycats where the school just said "it is what it is" and apologized for letting me, as a non-staffer, take the sub-job. They only inflicted it on staff.

I think I enjoyed K-3 the most.

I did occasional MS special ed when I had a good book to read. Tiny classes of sweet kids. Zero HS jobs.

Every now and then I somehow got a job that was over my head -- I think they're called Self-Contained rooms, but the sub jobs don't hardly ever use that term in the listing. These are rooms with screamers and hazardous kids where they didn't expect me to interact but I still had to be there. I noticed shields and bite-sleeves in use for the first time this year. Even so, I had some nice experiences and the staff is usually nice.

Personally, I'm going to try to develop my own program for Outdoor Skills. Green classrooms seem growing in popularity. Maybe I can wrangle such a thing! I have a couple interested principals so far. I do have a teaching certificate I can probably get re-activated fairly easily if need be. I subbed several months for an Outdoor Skills elective and it went wonderfully.

I tried to find summer-school work but no luck.

I hope everybody has a great summer!

I just worked at a middle school and the kids were going nuts saying that everybody had a dress code violation. Only they used a new slang term for it. Actually it's maybe the official staff term but they were saying it thinking they were funny. It actually was pretty hilarious. They were losing their minds but not in a mean way. They would peak into the hall and say the phrase to kids, saying their shorts were too short -- when they were wearing pants. They were just being maniacs and it was funny. Needless to say they only had 20 minutes of work assigned for the hour-long period and were going a tiny bit stir-crazy. They didn't do it that much. But it's the phrase I'm trying to recall. They weren't saying "dress coded" or "violator." Anyone know?